Pathway to the PhD

Mentored research during the winter intersession for UMass-Boston undergrads

Apply to Pathways

Mentored research during the winter intersession for UMass-Boston undergrads

Apply to Pathways

The 2024 P2P program will run from Wednesday, January 2 to Friday, January 19.

The Pathway to the PhD (P2P) program is a 3-week mentored, hands-on, research-intensive experience for juniors and sophomores that runs during the January break and is open to UMass-Boston undergraduates interested in careers in biomedical research.

The program is designed to provide students with their first biomedical research experience outside of lab classes and/or to gain exposure to a range of research areas such as microbiology, immunology, neuroscience, and cancer biology.

students in the lab

What You Do in P2P

Participants work with graduate students from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at approximately a 3:1 ratio. The graduate students design experiments for the undergraduates that are based on the graduate students’ thesis or lab's research.

In previous years, undergraduates have worked on how heart failure affects the recruitment of immune cells to the heart and how glucose affects the ability of the causative agent of cholera to form bacterial biofilms.

Participants also learn how to:

  • Think critically about their data and experimental set-up;
  • Apply to summer research internships, post-baccalaureate programs, PhD, and MD/PhD programs;
  • Present their work effectively;
  • Prepare for careers in biomedical research.

For information on the P2P program, contact Aimee Shen, PhD, Program Director.

Application Process

Information on the application process can be found here.

We are particularly interested in recruiting individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The NIH has reported that groups under-represented in biomedical or behavioral research include African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans or Latino/a, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders, individuals from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, and disabled persons. First-generation college students are also encouraged to apply.

For information on the application process, contact Kimberley Burke, Program Administrator.

students in the lab

Contact Information

Aimee Shen, PhD
Program Director

Kimberly Burke
Program Administrator
617-636-2469

Learn about other programs at GSBS